Inlet for pumps



Jan. 7, 1930. E. CURPHEY INLET FOR PUMPS Filed Nov. 3, 1924 v//falll .I ....nn... .....I....... 3.... 0

. INVENToR .Lennard E Tulp/@y l BY www ATTNl-:Ys

Patented Jan. 7, 1930 -UNiTED .STATES PATENT orifice LEONARD E. CURPHEY, F FLINT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL MOTORS GOR- POBATION, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORFORATION OF DELAWARE y 'INLET FOR PUMPS Application led November 3, 1924. Serial No. 747,567..V

in case the screened inlet is clogged, by pro' viding an auxiliary inlet which is automati-` cally eective inthat event.

ln one desirable arrangement, the auxiliaiy inlet is at a higher level than the screened inlet, so that it is idle so long as oil is f reely fed to the pump through the screened inlet,

yet at the same time becomes immediately eective when the screened inlet becomes clogged enough to build up a slight suction from the pump. Preferably t-he auxiliary inlet is in the .form of an upwardly arched open pipe, opening at one endinside the screened inlet space and at its other end outside and 0 above that space, Thus a substantial degree of suction must build up, tosuck the 'firstr oil over the arch, before the'arcliedinlet` supersedes the screened inlet, while the siphon g effect of the arch insures a. freely-flowing supa ply of oil after the auxiliary inlet once comes into action.

The above and other objects and features of the invention, including various novel and desirable particular constructions, will be ap- O parent from the following description of one illustrative embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a transverse vertical section through the lower part of an engine having a pump of the type described;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the screened and auxiliary inlets, detached from the pump and and auxiliary inlets.

n the arrangement selected for illustra-l tion, the pump, shown as al gear pump enclosed in a housing 10 with one or more in-A take openings 12 in its bottom, is arranged 5 in the crankcase 14 of the engine supported by a bracket 16 and driven by a vertical ,shaftl 18 geared to thecamshaft 20. The pump circulates oil through conduits 22 to the bearings of the crankshaft 24, and to other parts of the engine, the oil being taken from the bot- 1 Figure 3 is'ran end elevation of the screened tom of the crankcase, which serves as an oil reservoir. AThe above-described parts, except as further described below, maybe of any desired construction.'

According to the present invention, Voil to be circulated by the pump normally passes through a screen 30, shown as the'top ofV a trough shaped rose or member 32, of sheet metal or of screen material as preferred, which issecured to the bottom lof the pump housing, overA the intake opening 12, by fastenings passing through holes 34 an'd3'6. The trough shaped member 32 is provided with a sheet metal cover plate38 to lit against the bottom of the pump housing, so' that the 'l inlet parts form a sepa-rate unit', as shown in Figures 2 and 3. Member 32 is bent upT wardly against the bottom of this plate at the opening-'36,Vto seal the opening, theoil passing on both sides of this upwardly-bent?52 portion.v The screen material, ifnot'strong enough tosupport itself to provide an inlet space between the screen and trough, may be supported by sheet metal ribs orfthe like.

Plate 38 has one or more openings 40 regisktraurig with openingsv 12.

As explained above, I prefer to use as an auxiliary inlet an upwardly arched open pipe 42, opening at one end inside screen 30, and

at its other end outside the screen and at a higher level. "The pipe is shown as soldered or otherwise secured to a plate 44 fastened in place over an opening in screen 30.

In operation, it will be understood that the level of the oil inthecrankcase will beflnormally somewhere between a levelslightly below -tli'eunderside o'f the arched topy of u the pipe 42 and the ope-n ,endfthereof, theoill being renewed or replenished as necessary for this `purpose and the inlet 4t2` is idle as longY as oil flows freely through the -screen,as

some suction must develop tov draw the oil over the arch. If the screen becomes clogged, however, the pump suction draws the oil over the arch of member 42, and this auxiliary inlet'becomes effective. The Siphon action isv suoli tliatwhen the oil once does begin to flow over the arch, it flows freely with substantially no resista-nce to the proper fuiici' loe tioning ofthe pump.l

The volume of oil in the crank case varies as oil leaks therefrom or is consumed, Vand fresh oil is added from time to time, the nor-V mal oil level being as stated between somewhat below the under side of the arch of the member 42 and a little above the screen 30, so that the oil normally flows through the screen to supply the pump. It follows, therefore, that the inlet end of the pipe 42 will remain submerged notwithstanding changes in level of the oil due to varying quantities thereof in the crank case, and notwithstand- 1 ing also changes in level at the inlet end of the pipe due to waves in the body of Oil caused by movement of the vehicle; and that the arched form of the secondary-oil inlet insures a continuous supply of oil to the oil pump, and` the proper operation thereof to supply oil to the bearings to be lubricated. At com` paratively long intervals, but still quite Y frequently, the surges or waves of oil in the crankcase will uncover the inlet end of the pipe 42, .thus admitting air thereinto and breaking the suction of the oil pump.. VJhen this happens the supply through said pipe is interrupted and if at that instant oil can flow through the screen in sufficient quantity to supply the pump, the supply thereto will be through the screen and not through the syphon. If, however, the `screen may not then permit a flow lthrough it sufficient to supply the pump, the pump will immediately re-establish a flow of oil through the auxiliary oil supply passage providedfby the arched pipe or member 42.

While one illustrative embodiment has been described in detail, it is not my intention to limit the scope of the invention to that particular embodiment, or otherwise than by the terms of the appended claims.

I claim: Y

l. A pump having a housing with an inlet opening in its lower surface, a sheet metal trough inclosing the openingk and extending laterally beyond the housing,-being removably mounted thereon a screen closing the top of the laterally-extending trough and so arranged that oil passing into the pump hous Y ing through the trough must pass through the screen, and an upwardly arched open pipe opening at'one end into the trough inside the screen and opening at the other end at a higher level outside the screen.

2. A removable inlet unit comprising a trough-shaped bottom, a screen covering part of said bottom, a perforated plate covering Atheremainder of said bottom, and an upwardly arched pipe opening between the screen and bottom at one end and opening at a higher 'level outside `the screen at the other end.

3. A rose for the suction end of oil pump comprising a screened member, a .base for the said member provided with an apertured extension, means .to removably mount the said member on the pump, open LEONARD E. c UarHnY. 

